Drive
by lymaria
Summary: AU. Richard's life can best be described as boring. He never expected for his world to be turned upside down when he came face to face with a strange, green boy. Now, he and his new partner must work together to take down a corrupt organization who plans to eliminate all mutants from the world. Rated T for now. bbrob
1. Chapter 1

" _Drive!"_

It was amazing how one single word could change a person's life, and for Richard Grayson, it marked the end of beginning.

Richard lived a fairly normal life, though at one time he could say otherwise. He had just received his GED a year ago. Although most of his class went off to college, Richard could not do the same. While teenagers his age were partying from from dusk until done, making carefree mistakes that only one there age could make, Richard already had his future set. He was to work along his multimillionaire father as heir to his company.

Since the day he graduated, Richard had worked his butt off to gain the trust of his father, Bruce Wayne. Bruce was a tough-minded, strict individual, who had high expectations. Richard knew that if he ever wanted to gain his father's fortune, he would have to work for it. He didn't have the luxury of being a 'normal' teenager and experience life.

In short, his life was boring.

Everyday was the same routine. He would clock in for his shift as his father's apprentice, do paperwork, attend lectures, run errands, or whatever else his father had in store for him. At noon he'd go on his lunch break at a local coffee shop, sit and talk with his good friend Barbara, and arrive back at the office at one o'clock sharp. On the days he didn't work, he would spend his time exercising to relieve the stress of work, That consisted of a five mile run, a trip to the drills to lift weights, and volunteering at a local martial arts studio.

His life lacked any variety and there was hardly a time that any significant change happened. However, he never complained about his lifestyle. It would be selfish to do so. He had everything he could ever wish for; he did live with a millionaire after all. Still, there were moments in Richard's life when he wished something exciting would happen in his life.

He just didn't expect everything to come crashing down at once.

* * *

"Hey, Rich?" Barbara called from across the the counter. Her head was propped against her hands as she lazily wiped the countertop. Richard let out a hum, acknowledging that he had head her. "Some friends and I are hanging out tonight at the pub. Are you interested?"

Richard had to refrain from giving her a disgusted look, and instead set down his newspaper. She pouted, clasping her hands together in a begging notion.

"Is that even a question?" He scoffed. Everyone who had ever met Richard knew that he never attended social outings unless it was work related. "Besides," He said, slanting his eyes. "We're underaged."

Babara then let out a haughty groan, dropping her hands onto the countertop. Richard simply shook his head as she began to march towards his direction; placing her hands on her hips when she met him.

"Live life a little!" She yelled, but not loud enough so that it would disturb the surrounding customers. Richard was not fazed by her tone, however, and instead decided to reopen the article he had been reading. That is until she rudely snatched the paper from his grip and slammed it on the table.

"You're nineteen living like a forty year old man!" She seethed. "Just because you're working for your future doesn't mean you can't have a present."

"I'm perfectly content with my lifestyle." Richard answered calmly.

"An idiot could see that you're not." Barbara sighed, shaking her head sadly. Just then, Richard's watched beeped, indicating that his lunch break was over. Richard gave her small smile, grabbing his newspaper and standing up.

"I'm fine, really." He reassured, taking out his wallet. He then paid the exact amount for his food and gave it to Barbara, who accepted it without a word. He then took her hand, sliding in a thin sheet of paper as their hands connected. "You don't always have to invite me to things, you know?"

"Just consider it, okay? My offers always on the table if you change your mind." Barbara reasoned with a hopeful smile.

Richard nodded and let go of her hand. He briskly walked to the exit, only pausing after hearing the surprised gasp of his friend. Her expression had turned into one of bewilderment as she stared at the bill in her hands.

"R-Richard!" She cried exasperatedly. Richard chuckled, waving to her as he opened the door.

"Have fun tonight!" He yelled, giving her a wink. He then quickly left the building before she could chase after him to return the money.

Once safely outside, he let his facade drop as he trudged to his car. It was a black Mercedes Benz which had been given to him on his sixteenth birthday. Despite Richard's urges for his father to trade in the vehicle for something cheaper and more age appropriate, he refused. His father had since tried to buy him more expensive cars, to which Richard rejected. It was already hard enough fitting in in high school without a car that most kids could only dream of having.

Unlocking the door, he hopped into the car, closing the door behind him. He then dropped his head on the steering wheel, letting out a whine. The fact that he had to sit through another boring lecture today did not help ease his mood in the slightest.

He truly did wish that he could hang out with Barbara outside the coffee shop, but his duty for his work would not allow it. HIs schedule was never even open for the option. But she was right in some aspects. He was living life like a boring adult, despite not even reaching his twenties. No matter how much it pained him to admit it, it would take some type of miracle to change that.

Just then the passenger door suddenly opened and slammed shut. The car wobbled as a new weight was added to it. Richard slowly lifted up his head, his eyes wide. He didn't turn his head to see who was in the car, and instead used his peripheral vision. The stranger appeared to be covered from head to toe in black. His black ski mask had black shades where the eye holes must be. On his hands were grey gloves, providing the only variety in his wardrobe.

Currently, the masked person was checking behind him frantically; as if checking to see if anyone had followed him. Seeing this as his best chance of escaping, Richard slowly raised his left hand. He cautiously hovered towards the car handle, prepared to make his escape as his fingers finally touched the metal. However, just as he was about to pull the handle, the stranger stopped searching and turned towards him, as if just realizing he was in the car.

Richard didn't move as they stared at each other, each waiting for one to make the first move. Then, the stranger pulled out a gun, pointing it towards the boy.

" _Drive."_ He said in a low, dangerous voice. Richard blinked.

"W-what?" Richard asked, incredulously.

" _Drive!"_ He yelled again, bringing the gun to his cheek. "Do it now!"

Richard let go of the handle, quickly starting the engine with shaking hands. The bandit had since removed the gun from his cheek and was now looking back over his shoulder. He then turned back around, shoving the hard metal into the frightened teen's neck.

" _Why aren't we moving? I said drive!"_

Richard didn't have time to think about what he was doing as his survival instincts kicked in, and at that moment, they were telling him to do whatever this man said to do. He put the ignition in drive and stomped on the gas pedal, sending them both crashing to the back of their seat.

Richard drove down the streets of Gotham with a speed he had never attempted before. The cars they whizzed pass looked like blurred images to Richard. Honks were blared from every which direction, often times making Richard jump. All the while, the stranger was chanting not to stop.

Richard took no regards for stop signs or traffic lights. He narrowly missed being hit after speeding through a crossway. Just as it seemed like they were clear of traffic, an oversized load truck appeared, blocking the road. Richard gasped as he realized there was nowhere to turn and he would have to stop.

"Move!" The bandit screamed, reaching over Richard to take hold of the wheel. He then thrusted the wheel to the left, sending the car spiraling into the opposite lane. The cars going in that direction had to swerve off the road so that they did not collide. Richard was too shocked at the act to even scream. "Take the wheel." The stranger demanded once they were fully in the lane and speeding in the opposite direction.

Richard took the wheel despite being scared out of his wits. It wasn't until the two were on the outskirts of the city did the man finally drop his gun. Richard's body relaxed, but he didn't dare lower his speed.

Despite himself, he began to smile.

The whole situation was a whirlwind. Never before had Richard experienced something so exciting and frightening at the same time. It left him thirsting for more.

"Ha!" He laughed, running a hand through his damp hair. Although his kidnapper was sitting beside him, he couldn't contain his maniacal laughter. Richard had to wonder if this was due to shock, or if he had finally gone crazy. Whatever the reason was, it left him gasping for air.

Finally, he calmed down enough to glance at the stranger, who didn't even seem to register his outburst. His arms were crossed and he was leaning back against the chair as if he owned it.

"So what now?" Richard asked suddenly, not even realizing he had spoke. "Are you going to kill me?" If he were not driving at such a high speed, he would've slapped himself for asking something so stupid. He supposed the thrill of doing something exciting left him overly confident,and he completely neglected the dangerous situation he was in.

"Just keep driving." He demanded. Richard furrowed his brows. Although his voice had some bass to it, it was still relatively boyish. Richard decided to take another look at him.

Judging by his body frame, he could easily take him on one on one if given the chance. By comparison, his body wasn't as large as Richard, and he lacked body mass. The only thing holding him back was the gun in the stranger's hand.

"So…" Richard began. Mentally, his brain was cursing his idiocy, but Richard knew it was his best chance at escaping. "Are you running from the cops?" He turned his head slightly toward the teen. Although it was impossible to see his facial expression, Richard could make out the thin outline of where his mouth would be turn downward.

"Did you kill someone?"

"No."

"Crazy ex?"

"...No."

Richard tapped the steering wheel, mildly confused. He tried to come up with another solution to explain why this person would just hop in his car and threaten his life, but nothing connected.

"I don't get it." Richard finally said.

"You're not supposed to get it. You're human." He sneered distastefully.

"You say that as if you're not one yourself." Richard joked, but seeing his stoic body expression, realization dawned on him. "You're not human?"

The masked bandit remained quiet, as if he hadn't heard the question. Richard found himself growing annoyed by the man's persistence to not explain the situation. He couldn't understand why he couldn't just tell him why he was being held hostage.

Letting out a growl of frustration, Richard slammed on the brakes, sending them both flying forward. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best decision to pull over in the middle of the dessert with a potential killer by your side, but Richard did not care. He needed answers.

"Who are you?" He demanded, slamming his fist of the dashboard. Again, he received no response. "Look, you chose the wrong car to hop in. My father is Bruce Wayne, ever heard of him?" Richard sneered. He could see the realization dawn on the man, and he slowly nodded his head. "Once he finds out that I'm missing he won't stop looking for me until I'm found and you're behind bars. And I'm not going to give up without a fight. You can kill me but you _will_ get caught. That is unless...you tell me what your motives are."

Richard never heard himself sound so confident before. He had to make sure his facial expression didn't show how surprised he was by his own voice. Although his mind was telling him to retreat and do what the man said, his heart would not listen. Judging by the man cursing and looking away, he knew he had made the right decision.

"I'm...a mutant." He finally said, his body deflating.

"Mutant?" Richard repeated. "Like...you have powers or something?"

"Somewhat." He shrugged, turning towards the teen. "I'm not a villain if that's what you're wondering." He added.

"That doesn't explain why you threatened to kill me." Richard scolded.

"I was never going to kill you. I just needed to escape." He answered quietly.

"Escape from what? You're not making any sense." Snapped Richard. At this, the bandit's head flew backwards as he let out a howl of laughter.

"They really don't you anything, huh, pretty boy? So much for land of the free!" He laughed. "Have you ever wondered what happen to all the major supers? Superman? Wonderwoman? Even batman's gone M.I.A! What about the villains? When was the last time you heard of someone threatening to destroy the world?"

Richard blinked, his face turning to one of confusion. It was no secret that all the major supers that had once sworn to protect the earth had mysteriously disappeared. It had been years since there was a major threat to humanity. Most people assumed that they had all returned to their home planet or simply retired. No one ever fathomed that there was a reason for the disappearance.

"They were all taken hostage by the government." The stranger quipped, growing serious. "They're hunting down mutants and throwing them into quarantine...or worse if you're seen as a threat."

"Why?" Richard asked incredulously. He shrugged.

"That's what I'm here for. I'm trying to find out. They won't stop until all mutants are behind bars."

"Why should I believe you?" Richard accused. "You could be making this whole thing up." The bandit looked at loss for words. "Take off your mask."

"Excuse me?" He asked in shock

"If you take off your mask, I'll believe you and I'll drop any charges I have against you. I'll forget we ever met." There was a moment of silence as the man pondered the situation. Minutes passed before he finally sighed, shaking his head.

"Do you know how backwards you sound right now?" He said exasperatedly. "I can't promise you'll like what you see."

Richard watched with determination as the man's gloved fingers slowly reached for the back of of the mask, untying it from first thing he noticed was a sliver of dark green hair. This bewildered Richard, but he assumed he had dyed it at some point. However, that theory was proven false when he noticed his skin was an olive Green. As he removed more of his mask, he could tell that his whole body was green. His large ears began to poke out, and it reminded Richard of ones of a pharaoh hound dog or elf. Finally, he removed the mask completely, exposing the rest of his face.

Despite being green and having large ears, his facial features looked human. He had a growing, chiseled jawline, though it was evident some baby fat still lingered.. They looked to be about the same age His nose was pointed slightly upward and rounded at the top, giving it a buttoned look. His lips were a slightly darker shade than the rest of his skin, and his eyes were a bright emerald green. Thick eyebrows shaped his face, while wild green hair stuck up in every which direction; though Richard assumed it was messy because of the mask.

Richard found myself having to look away, not because he was disgusted, but because he could not stop the blood from rushing to his cheeks. He had no clue why he had blushed just by the mere sight of him. Especially since his mouth was down turned into a scowl, most likely angry that he had revealed himself

"Look," He growled. "I'm sorry for making you do this. I'll just go now." Before he could walk out of the car, however, Richard grabbed his forearm and pulled him back. "What gives, dude?" The stranger yelled.

"I want to help." Richard stated without green boy's eyes widened before slandering dangerously.

"No. Way." He grunted, yanking his arm out of Richards grasp before exiting the vehicle. Richard quickly followed suit, speed walking to catch up to the fleeting mutant.

"Where are you going to go? We're in the middle of nowhere!" Richard screamed as he struggled to keep up with the mutants fastening pace.

"What do you care? You should be happy I'm leaving." He yelled, throwing up the finger from behind. However, richard did not let the notion faze him, and ran in front of the green boy, forcing him to stop.

"Why Can't I help?" He demanded.

"Why would you want to? You're human. You're life is perfect. What do you have to gain from helping me?"

"The only thing I have to look forward to in life is sitting behind a desk and filing paperwork. I want to do something meaningful with my life. Please, let me join you." Begged Richard.

"The answer is still no." He said, pushing past me.

"I can be an asset! With a human by your side I bet you can get into a lot more places!" Richard shouted. Slowly, the mutant stopped walking. His fist clenched and before Richard could even register what was happening, he spun around and came at him at full speed. He grabbed the unsuspecting teen by the collar of his shirt, twisting it almost painfully, and brought him down to his level.

"How do I know you're not a spy? I don't know you and you don't know me. You don't even know whose side you're on. Why should I trust you?" He growled, bringing their faces close. Richard was wide eyed as he grabbed onto the mutant's gloved hands in an attempt to loosen his grip, to no avail. Finally, he stopped struggling, and let his body deflate, looking away.

"I have no way of proving my loyalty," Richard admitted sadly. "But I am trustworthy. If you tell me to do something, I will not ask any questions. I know it must be hard for you to trust humans, and I fully understand that. But if you can put your trust in me," He said, looking up to meet the green teens challenging eyes. "You won't be disappointed."

Green eyes bore into blue ones as the mutant search for any signs that he was lying. It seemed like an eternity before the mutant sighed, letting go of the boy's shirt.

"Fine." He grunted, wiping his hands on his pants. Richard cocked his head to the side.

"So...we're partners?" Richard asked hopefully. The mutant raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't say that. I still don't trust you, but I'm willing to give you a chance. Simply because you could be used as bait." He snapped. Richard grinned, feeling the need to hug the strange boy in front of him.

"I won't let you down!" Richard cheered.

"We're going to have to set some rules first." He said, holding up his index finger. "Rule number one, you must never leave my sight. I'd rather kill you myself than let valuable information out." He said dangerously.

"Understood." Richard agreed, though the thought of the mutant killing him frightened him.

"Also, you must destroy all ways of contact. Which means your crummy phone and stupid watch and-"

"I can sell the car too!" Richard interrupted. "That way we'll be less suspicious and have some money to spend." The mutant raised an eyebrow before shrugging. He then crossed his arms, staring at the teen expectantly. Richard gave him a confused look before gasping in realization.

He dug into his back pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He then threw it onto the ground, stomping on it until it was nothing but shattered glass. He then took off his smart watch and threw it as far away into the desert as he could.

"Is that all?" Richard asked, sticking his hand out towards the unsuspecting teen. The mutant stared at it for a few seconds before pinching the bridge of his nose. He then grabbed his Richard's hand, giving him a firm handshake.

"Remember what I said, pretty boy." He scowled."Backstab me and I will personally end you."

"Noted." Richard replied quickly. The mutant then let go of his hand and began walking past him. Richard could only watch with confusion as he walked.

"Let's go, I don't have all day!" He yelled, pointing toward the vehicle. Richard grinned before quickly making his way to the driver's seat. Once they were both buckled in, Richard pulled back onto the highway and began driving away from the city that he was once bound to.

Richard could feel the pressures that he once had leave his body, for he knew things would be different now. He smiled to himself, sitting back in his chair.

"My name's Richard...by the way." He suddenly said. He looked over at the green teen expectantly, who rolled his eyes.

"Logan." He said, putting back on his shades. "Garfield Logan. My friends call me Gar." Richard nodded, making a mental note of his name.

"Where are we going, Gar?" I asked, grinning. He gave me an incredulous look before shaking his head with a small smirk.

"Just keep driving." He grinned, exposing enlarged, but perfectly white canines.

"One more question." Richard said, growing serious. "If the government were to cat you, what would happen to you?" There was a moment of awkward silence. Richard waited patiently for Garfield's answer as he crossed his arms and turned towards the window.

"Considering I'm trying to bring down the organization and they know who I am," He said slowly. "They would kill me without hesitation."

* * *

 **Um...hi...heh heh.**

 **I know, I know. "Why are you starting another story?! You haven't even finished the ones you wrote!" I just really like this idea! This would be the first kind of fic I've wrote like this and I really find it fun to write. I don't really enjoy writing action fics but this one seems to good to pass up! Theres so many paths this story could take and I love each one of them!**

 **As for Grayson High, I'm in a bit of a writer's block (again) So the story is on hiatus as of now. I still plan on finishing it by the time summer is over! There's literally only like...three chapters left. And I also wanna pick up on some of the other fics I have abandoned.**

 **If you're looking for more stories to fill your time, I posted like drafts on my fic 'friends with benefits'. They may or may not turn into actual fics but *shrugs***

 **As always, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Richard looked over at the figure beside him and sighed. They had been driving for hours on end aimlessly, and it was becoming obvious that they both were physically drained from their earlier events. Garfield was slumped in the passenger seat, his head bobbing from side to side. Richard could tell he was trying his best to stay awake, but he was losing that battle. Richard was becoming quite tired himself. He could feel his vision blurring with each passing minute and it was becoming harder for him to stay steady on the road.

They were passing through a small town at the moment, and Richard could feel himself start to succumb to darkness. He glanced over at the green boy beside him, who had at some point shut his eyes. He then turned back to the road and spotted a motel in the distance. Once he reached it, he pulled over into the dirt road and stopped the car. Garfield woke up at the sudden movement and shot up in his chair, dazed and confused.

"Why did we stop?" He grumbled, scanning the dimly lit area.

"We're both exhausted. I thought we should rest." Richard reasoned, turning off the ignition. Garfield shook his head in disagreement.

"We need to keep driving. If you're tired, we can switch." He said, taking off his seatbelt. Richard stopped him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"We're both in no condition to drive. It's almost three a.m." Richard stated sternly. Garfield stared at him incredulously until his shoulder slumped in defeat and he looked down.

"I can't go in there." He sighed. Richard let go of his shoulder and grinned, earning a confused expression from his partner.

"I have a plan."

* * *

Richard walked into the motel with slight difficulty. It wasn't easy considering he had extra weight on his shoulder. He trudged over to the front desk, where an elderly woman was sitting watching t.v. Once she made eye contact with Richard however, she turned down the volume and gave him a mildly confused look.

"Um...yes, how may I help you?" She asked slowly. Richard put on his best smile.

"Just one room, please." Richard responded kindly. The woman raised an eyebrow and peered over Richard's shoulder.

"Is he alright?" She questioned, pointing to the body slung over Richard's shoulder. Richard peered behind him, and saw that the body's face was fully covered by the hoodie from the trunk of his car.

"Yes!" He said quickly. He then leaned over the counter and smirked. "He had a little bit too much to drink." He whispered. As if to make a point, the body made a hiccup and gave a thumbs up from behind.

"Uh huh." The woman replied slowly, opening a drawer beside her without taking her eyes off the two. She then pulled out a key, holding it out for Richard to grab. "Room 324." She said cautiously.

"Thank you." Richard said, putting on a charming smile. He then tooked the key and quickly made his way to the nearest elevator. He could practically feel the woman's eyes following him as he fleaed.

Once they were safely in the enclosed elevator, Richard let the body down and slumped against the railing. Garfield brushed himself off but made sure the hoodie still covered his face in case there were cameras.

"I can't believe that worked." He breathed, looking at Richard who laughed.

"You know. You're a lot heavier than you look." Richard joked, to which Garfield rolled his eyes. The elevator stopped at the third floor,and the two stepped into the hallway. They found their way to room 324 and quickly unlocked it so that they could enter.

As soon as they entered the room, Garfield rushed to the bed and threw himself on top of it. He let out a content sigh of relief, burying his face in the pillows. Richard closed the door behind him, confusion written on his face.

"Dude, it's been so long since I slept in a bed." Garfield sighed, throwing off the hoodie. Richard frowned, slowly making his way to the edge of the bed. The room was small, with only a queen side bed, a bedside table, and a lamp to furnish the area.

Richard looked down at the figure below him, who looked to be already asleep. He found himself smiling to himself at how peaceful the boy looked; something that he had yet to see from the mutant.

He then took the pillow from the other side of the bed and went over to the closet and found a spare blanket. He then placed the pillow and blanket on the floor, lying on top of the fabrics. He rested his head on the pillow, trying his best to ignore the discomfort.

He sighed, closing his eyes and prepared to go to sleep, only to be awoken by shuffling on the bed. Garfield peaked his head over the bed, glaring at Richard on the floor.

"What do you think you're doing?" He growled. Richard cocked his head to the side, confused.

"Trying to sleep." Richard answered plainly.

"You're not sleeping on the floor." He snapped.

"Where am I supposed to sleep, then?" Richard asked. Garfield rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.

"On the bed with me." Garfield stated. RIchard sat up,shaking his head.

"I was trying to be nice." Richard snarled. "If it's your first time in awhile not sleeping on the bed then I want you to be comfortable."

"First of all," Garfield snarled. "The last thing I need is for you to throw me a pity party. Secondly, I need to make sure you don't try to sneak off while I'm asleep. So get on the bed, rich boy."

Richard could only stare with his mouth agape as he processed the words. He then shook his head, knowing that neither of them would get any sleep if he didn't comply.

"At least have a little faith in me." Richard mumbled. He then got up, grabbing his pillow and putting it back where he first found it.

Garfield moved back to the other side of the bed and watched as Richard made his way onto the bed with an uncomfortable expression on his face. Richard shifted under the covers, trying to make sure there was sufficient space between the two. Garfield rolled his eyes and turned onto his side, facing away from the teen beside him.

"Be ready tomorrow," Garfield whispered, closing his eyes. "We have a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Garfield rolled over in bed, letting out a hum of pleasure. His arms were spread out on either side, and he was indulging in the comfort the bed brought him. As he allowed his hands to graze over the the sheets, he realized that something was missing; or more like someone.

His eyes shot open as he sat up in bed, a wild expression on his face as he realized he was alone in the room. He jumped out of the bed, searching around the room for any sign of is so-called partner, yet, it was obvious he was not there.

"I can't believe him!" Garfield seethed, gripping his hair angrily. "That lying bastard. I'll kill him!" He screech as he kicked the walls multiple times in rage. He was fully prepared to run out of the room and search for him before realizing who he was and that he couldn't.

Garfield paced the room, trying to figure out what to do with this situation. He couldn't risk having Richard exposing where he was, but he couldn't risk exposing himself either. He was still wearing the hoodie he wore the night before and decided it was worth the risk, and threw the hoodie on top of his head. He then marched to the door and swung it open, only to be stopped by a smiling figure.

"Good morning!" Richard cheered. He then held up a bag and shook it. "I brought breakfast." Garfield watched in confusion as Richard walked past him and set the bag on the table. Garfield slowly closed the door, blinking hard.

"Where have you been?" Garfield hissed. Richard threw his head to the side.

"I just went out to get us something to eat. You must be starving." He said, taking the food out of the bag. "Also," He said, taking digging in his pockets and pulling out a pair of keys. "I sold the car!" He then tossed the keys to Garfield, who hardly had time to catch them. Seeing how Garfield still looked mildly angry, RIchard slowly let his happy demeanor drop.

"You don't think I tried to run away, do you?' Richard asked slowly.

"Of course I did!" Garfield shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "You left without telling me, what do you expect?"

"You just look so peaceful sleeping," Richard shrugged, looking like a puppy being disciplined. "I didn't want to wake you up."

Garfield sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking head. He then walked towards the teen, sitting on the bed.

"Just…" He said, finally letting his anger diminish. "Don't do that again. I was seriously planning on hunting you down." Richard's eyes widened before softening. He then let a chuckle, nodding.

"Noted." Richard laughed. He then pulled out a sandwich from the bag and handed it to the mutant, who looked at it skeptically. "It's ham and cheese." Richard stated. Garfield's face scrunched up in disgust as he opened the sandwich and saw the pink meat.

"I guess now would be a good time to tell you I'm a vegetarian." Garfield grumbled, picking up the meat as if it were contaminated and tossing it away.

"I'm so sorry-" Richard tried to apologize, only to be stopped when Garfield held up a hand towards him.

"It's fine. You didn't know." As if to prove a point, the green teen took a bite of the sandwich with only cheese. Richard watched for a few seconds as the mutant happily ate his meal and smiled to himself. He then took out his own sandwich and began to eat as well.

About ten silent minutes passed before they had both finished their breakfast. Garfield was the first to finish and stood up and stretched. Richard found himself almost mesmerized by how much his back arched and how flexible he appeared to be and blushed at the sight.

"We should probably get going if we're going to make it there in time." Garfield reported, letting his arms drop. Richard looked away, embarrassed that he could've been caught staring.

"Where are we going exactly?' Richard asked after clearing his throat.

"Wouldn't you like to know, pretty boy?" Garfield smirked, throwing him a wink. "Anyway, why don't you check us out and I find a backway to get to the parking lot?" He suggested.

"Are you sure? What if somebody sees you?"

"They won't." Garfield reassured confidently. Richard furrowed his brows, but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright," Richard finally replied. "Look for a light blue convertible." Garfield nodded and watched as Richard left the room. He found himself staring at the door of which Richard left, and although he would never admit it, he already missed his presence. He then turned towards the window, an idea striking in his head.

* * *

"I'm here to check out." Richard stated, shifting on his feet as his fingers tapped nervously on the counter. The receptions cocked her head to the side, sticking out her hand for the key.

"Leaving so soon?" She asked as Richard handed her the metal. She then clicked her tongue, throwing the key into a drawer. "Where's your friend?" She questioned.

"Oh um…" Richard laughed, running his fingers through his hair. "He left earlier. I'm surprised you didn't see him."

"I see everyone that walks in and out of this building." She sneered.

"Right." Richard grinned, nodding in agreement. He then straightened up, putting on his best smile. "So how much was the room, again?" Richard said, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Sixty." She stated. Richard nodded again, taking out his wallet from his back pocket. He pulled out the money, and prepared to give the woman the papers, when he noticed her staring intensely at the television. He curiously peered over the counter and was shocked by what he saw on the screen.

Though the image was blurry, the person showed was unmistakably Garfield's. It looked to be caught on a security camera on the whim, and the photo had been zoomed in precisely to capture his face. Glancing at the woman, he saw that she had a scowl on her face and he gulped.

" _...The fugitive has yet to be identified, but he is armed and dangerous. He was last captured entering this vehicle-"_ The photo then jumped to Richard's old mustang, making his heart pump faster. " _Which has lead us to believe he is holding that person hostage. If you have any clue who might own this vehicle please contact-"_ The screen suddenly went black, causing Richard to blink in shock.

"You'd think it be easy to capture some green guy." The woman scowled, shaking her head. She then looked Richard straight in the eyes, examining him. Richard could feel the sweat forming around his brows as he tried his best to keep his cool. After it felt like an eternity, she finally looked away and held out her hand. "You be careful out there." She finally said.

Richard quickly nodded and handed her the cash before turning and practically sprinting out of the building. He had parked on the far side of the motel, so he decided it best to run there to save time. As he rounded the corner, he could make out a figure covered in black leaning against the hood of the car. Richard picked up his pace and one he reached the figure he wrapped his hand around his forearm and yanked him.

"What gives, dude!" Garfield hissed. He grabbed onto his hoodie to make sure it didn't fall off his head as Richard pulled him.

"We have to go." Richard panted, trying to open the passenger door, but unable to because the door was locked. Garfield rolled his eyes and pulled out the keys, unlocking the door.

"Okay, but I'm driving." He said casually, walking around the hood to get to the driver's seat. Richard was already fastened in by the time Garfield entered through the other side. The mutant gave him an odd look but shrugged, putting the car in ignition and starting it. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, driving at a constant speed.

"Do you want to tell me why you're freaking out now?" Garfield asked.

"I think the media knows that I'm with you." Richard stated, to which Garfield raised an eyebrow. "They have your picture on the news plus a photo of you getting into my car." At the mention of this, the color from Garfield's face paled. "I think that woman at the front desk had her suspicions too. And once my father sees the news he'll know I'm missing and he'll come out looking for me." Richard said in a panic.

"Just calm down for a sec." Garfield grumbled, gripping the steering wheel. Truth be told, he was just as worried that they could be found. They had already left so many traces: staying at a motel and trading in the vehicle that would be getting searched for. "I knew bringing you with me would be a mistake."

"Either way, they caught you hopping into _my_ car." Richard sneered. Garfield glared at him, but knew he couldn't argue that fact. He tapped the steering wheel, trying to think of the best way out of the situation.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" He finally said after minutes of silence. Richard blinked several times, confused by the seemingly random question.

"Um...a couple hours maybe. Why?" Richard asked.

"You should rest. It's going to be a few hours before we get to the location." Garfield stated, making a left.

"But I'm not tired." Richard argued.

" _Sleep."_ Garfield said sternly, turning his head towards Richard with an expression that said it would be best not to argue. Richard huffed, but decided to do as told. He leaned against the seat and shut his eyes, and despite himself, he could feel himself start to fall asleep.

* * *

Richard was awoken by a sharp jab at his side. He shot up and examined his surroundings. It was pitch black outside and he there were no buildings in sight. He felt the car shut off beneath him and turned his head to the left to see a familiar figure putting the keys in his pocket.

"We're here." He stated. Richard sat up in his seat.

"Where is here exactly?" Ignoring the boy's question, Garfield through something on his lap.

"Put that on." He demanded. Richard looked down at his lap and picked up a white mask outlined in black. He cocked his head to the side but slipped the mask on regardlessly. "Don't take that off, no matter what. Now let's go." Garfield stated, opening the car door and stepping out. Richard followed quickly followed suite, and shut the door behind him.

"I don't understand," Richard stated, watching as Garfield walked towards him. "What are we doing?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Garfield said, reaching up and stroking Richards hair. Richard was too shocked by the notion to bring himself to move away, or even breathe, as Garfield raked his hair back. After a few more strokes he stopped and admired his work, tapping his chin.

"You're still missing something." He said, biting his lip. Richard was thankful that it was dark out, knowing that he was turning as red as a tomato from how close the were. After a few more seconds of staring he shrugged. "I guess we'll figure it out later."

"Wait," Richard said, noticing something. "Why aren't you covered up?" Richard asked, seeing how Garfield wasn't wearing a mask of a hoodie.

"I don't need to hide myself where we're going." He stated, grabbing Richard's hand. Richard looked between him and there interlocked hands; confusion and embarrassment evident in his expression. However, Garfield seemed unfazed by this and grinned, "You ready?" He asked.

Before Richard had the chance to answer, Garfield ran forward, dragging Richard behind him. Richard could only let out a yelp as he was forcefully pulled in another direction. Just before he was about to ask what he was doing, a black hole of energy appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Richard closed his eyes as he saw them reach it, and knew that Garfield had no intentions of turning away.

They came to a stop, and Richard slowly opened his eyes as he heard sounds and voices coming from every angle. Once he opened his eyes, he was baffled by what he saw.

They were in a large building, with monitors and other devices on the walls. Panels with various buttons and controls were beneath them. The ceiling was obviously multiple stories, and an open ceiling was casted above on the last story. But what amazed Richard the most were the many mutants in the room. Some flying around, others working on the panels, some chatting among others, and various others just leisurely walking around. Richard never thought this many mutants still existed up until now.

"Come on." A familiar voice said, snapping Richard out of his stupor. By the time Richard turned to locate the voice, he was already making his way down a flight of stairs. He quickly caught up to him, making sure to stay close behind him.

He didn't know whether or not to be scared or fascinated by the mutants that they walked passed. Some were huge while others were barely a foot tall. They're seemed to be a mutant in every shade of the rainbow, with their own uniqueness to them. Some seemed gently while others looked fierce and vicious.

As Richard was looking around, he had yet to see a massive figure in front of him, and walked right into it. Richard shook his head, taking a few steps back and looking up. Judging by hard the figure was, he had expected to had run into a wall, but was surprised to see it was a giant man with an obvious scowl on his face. He had fiery red hair, that looked more like a mane, and yellow and black jumpsuit on.

"What are you looking at, pipsqueak?" The man growled. Before Richard had the chance to answer he was being hoisted into the air by the collar of his short. Richard struggled to loosen his grip, but found that the man was much too strung. "I'm going to have fun pounding you into a-"

"Stand down, Mammoth." They both looked down to see Garfield standing below them with an obvious frown on his face.

"Why should I? The shrimp knocked into me?" Mammoth snarled.

"Stand down." Garfield repeated. "Or would you rather have me take you on myself?" Garfield challenged. Mammoth huffed and threw Richard aside, causing him to land roughly on his back.

Mammoth marched in front of Garfield, who had yet to move or take his eyes off of him. Mammoth snarled, leaning over to come face to face with Garfield.

"Next time I won't hold back." He stated before stomping away. Garfield watched for a few seconds before shaking his head. He walked toward Richard, who was still struggling to stand up. Garfield outstretched his hand towards him, to which he accepted gratefully.

"Are you alright?" Garfield asked. Richard nodded as he stood up and dusted himself off. "I see you're quick at making friends." He joked. Richard rolled his eyes.

"No offense, but why did he listen to you like that?"

"Let's just say there's a reason why I'm the most wanted mutant in the world." Garfield shrugged as he began walking away again. Richard made sure to keep close to him as they walked towards a group of mutants.

The first person who noticed them was a beautiful girl with orange skin. Though she looked fairly normal, there were some characteristics that characterized her as a mutant. Besides her orange skin, she had long fiery red hair, and bright green eyes. Her eyebrows were not full, and instead were short stubs.

Upon seeing them she floated into the air, and clasped her hands together excitedly. To Richard's surprise, she flew towards Garfield at lightning speed, wrapping her arms around him, and bringing him into a tight hug, twirling him into the air also.

"Friend Beastboy, you have returned safely, yes?" She asked, checking his face for any marks. Garfield chuckled, shaking his head.

"I'm fine, Star." Garfield said with a smile. Then two other people made their way to the duo. The first one was a large black man littered in metal. Most of his body was a light silver and blue metal but there were still traces of him being once human. A large smile was plastered on his face. Floating beside him was a girl with pale skin and purple hair. In the middle of her forehead was a red chakra. Though she wasn't smiling, it was easy to tell she was happy.

"Good to have you back, grass stain." The large metal man grinned, patting Garfield roughly on the back.

"You too tin man." Garfield laughed.

"You must tell us all about you adventure!" Starfire cheered.

"Are you going to introduce us to your friend?" A monotonous voice suddenly asked. Suddenly, all heads turned to Richard, who had been watching the greetings awkwardly. Garfield cleared his throat, as if just remembering he was there.

"Right." Garfield said, stepping into the middle. "Well, this is Starfire." He said, gesturing to the red head.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, friend." She said, waving. Richard gave her a half smile as Garfield moved on to the next person.

"This is my best buddy, Cyborg." Garfield introduced, to which Cyborg nodded proudly to.

"And last but not least, this is Rae-Rae." He said, pointing to the purple haired girl.

"Raven." She corrected with a scowl, to which Beast Boy laughed.

"Friend Beastboy did not say he was bringing a friend." Starfire said, walking up to Richard who tried his best not to back away.

"Uh…" He looked over to Garfield, who gave him a look that said to play along. "Me and... Beast Boy…. just happened to bump into each other." Richard stated, using the foreign name.

"And what's your name?" Cyborg asked. At this Garfield and Richard exchanged worried glances. Richard cleared his throat, playing with the hem of his pants nervously.

"Robin." He finally wheezed, that being the first name coming to mind.

"Nice to meet you then." Cyborg said with a smile. After that the intensity of the situation seemed to fade and Richard allowed himself to relax. Garfield clapped his hands together, gathering the attention of everyone around him.

"Alright team, have you got any new leads?" Garfield asked. Suddenly the group turned serious and hustled to the panels to an overhead monitor. Richard followed and watched as the screen suddenly turned into a blueprint of a building.

"I managed to bug some parts of the building. It's heavily guarded so you'll have to be extra careful." Cyborg stated, typing furiously on the keyboard.

"There some kind of mechanism that prevents mutants from getting anywhere close to it also." Raven stated. "Even if we figured out where the files are located, we wouldn't be able to break in."

"Unless," Starfire stated, opening a safe and holding out a glowing green box. "We can somehow get this into the main computer devices." Starfire said sadly, knowing that would be nearly impossible.

"What is it?" Garfield asked, taking the device into his own hands.

"When installed properly, it will take away the field for a short amount of time. Just enough time for someone to get the files and get out." Cyborg suddenly turned his head, smiling at Richard who was watching in confusion.

"That's where you'll come in." Garfield stated. Richard blinked, surprised.

"Me?" He asked.

"Robin here," Garfield said, pulling grabbing his wrist and pulling him beside him. "Has the ability to mask his powers when needed. He's basically a human when he does it." Garfield lied, to which the small group cheered.

Richard smiled, though on the inside he was mildly confused. He didn't understand why Garfield would lie about him being human, or why he pretended that he had powers. He had no idea what they were talking about, or why they needed to hijack a building. But he knew that no good would come if he asked questions so he just played along.

"That's a pretty sweet power you got there." Came a rough voice from behind. The group turned and Richard instantly paled at who was behind him. "Mind testing it out?"

"Mammoth, I thought I told you to stand down." Garfield sneered. Mammoth scoffed. Behind him was a pale girl with bright pink hair in pigtails, and a short bald kid with a jetpack on snickered behind him.

"You know the rules, Beast Boy." The kid laughed.

"All newbies must prove themselves to be a part of this team." The girl stated, flicking her wrist so that a pink bolt shot out.

"You're not going to go back on your own rules, are you?" Mammoth challenged. Beast Boy opened his mouth and then closed it, knowing he was right.

"Come on, man. You know we need him for the mission." Cyborg interjected, stepping into the conversation.

"I don't trust him." Mammoth said, pointing an angry finger at Richard. "He doesn't even smell like a mutant." He growled. Garfield was about to say something when Richard stepped in front of him and glared at the mammoth.

"It's fine, Beast Boy." Richard stated, snarling towards the big oaf. "I'll do it." At this Garfield pulled him back with anger written on his face.

"I thought you were crazy before but this is another level." Garfield whispered angrily into his ear. "You can't fight him!"

"I'll be fine." Richard said, pulling his arm out of his grip. Richard then turned back to mammoth, confident. "Lead the way." Richard stated. Mammoth snickered as he and his crew began walking towards the arena.

Garfield pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched the group walk away. Raven placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a cold stare.

"He doesn't have powers, does he?" She questioned. Garfield gave her a half grin that said it all. RIn one swift motion, the sorceress slapped the back of his head, earning a yelp from him. "Idiot."

"Bro, why would even bring him here?" Cyborg seethed.

"The kids persistant." Garfield shrugged.

"Whatever, let's just go make sure he doesn't get hurt." Cyborg said shaking his head. The group followed the others to the arena where a huge crowd had already started to form. Pushing through the crowd, the group made it to the front just as the fight was beginning.

Mammoth was pounding his fist together, getting in a low stance. Meanwhile, Richard stood stock still, his expression emotionless. The kid with the jetpack, which Garfield new as Gizmo pulled out a microphone with a wicked expression on his face.

"On the right, we have the newbie, Robin!" The crowd was mixed with applause, and boos, and laughter as Richard made did not make any motion upon being called. "And on the left we have the undefeated champ, Mammoth!" At this Mammoth pumped his fist in the air as the crowed hollard with whoops and cheers. "Don't expect this fight to take long." Gizmo mumbled as he floated higher up. "Fight!"

Garfield was at the edge of the arena, fully prepared to step in when things got sour. He could hear Starfire whimpered beside him with worry as Mammoth came charging full speed at the figure half of his height. Richard had yet to move as the large figure came barreling towards him, and Garfield had began to wonder if he had gotten cold feet. That is until at the very last second Richard sprang into the air, easily jumping over the brute, and landing a roundhouse kick on the back of his head.

The crowd collectively gasped as they watch Mammoth stumble forward, clutching the back of his head. Richard landed on his feet, but this time in a defensive stance. He had a slight bounce as he watched Mammoth slowly turn around.

"Dude," Garfield breathed in disbelief. He turned towards his friends, who looked just as shocked. Suddenly there was an almost animal like yell that brought back Garfield's attention to the fight. Mammoth looked almost crazy as he crouched down low. In a flash, he sprinted towards Richards direction.

Instead of standing still, this time Richard followed suite, and ran towards the beast. Garfield watched in anticipation as they neared. Just as it seemed like Mammoth would land a hit on Richard, Richard slid on his back and between his legs. Using the momentum, he was able to wrap his hands around the mammoth's ankles, causing him to fall down face first. The crowd cheered Richard on as Mammoth struggled to stand up. Richard, however, did not take his eyes off of the red head as he got onto his feet once again.

"You'll pay for that, you little rodent!" Mammoth roared as he began running after him once more. This time, Richard ran in the opposite direction.

"What is he doing?" Garfield whispered, moreso to himself. He watched intently as Mammoth began to catch up to his retreating figure, and Garfield realized he would have nowhere to go because he was running directly towards a wall. "Crap." Garfield began to jump over the railing, knowing that this wouldn't end well.

"What are you doing?" Raven asked.

"He's my responsibility. If something happens it's my fault." Garfield stated, turning his head around to meet her. Starfire gasped and pointed upwards. Garfield turned around just in time to see Richard run up the wall and back flip off of it, kicking Mammoth in the back of the head and forcing it to collide into the wall, leaving a sizeable dent.

The audience was silent as Mammoth swayed before collapsing on the ground, unconscious. Richard stood up from his crouching position and warily faced the stunned crowd. Richard rubbed the nape of his neck nervously, giving off a small, uneasy chuckle.

Slowly, claps could be heard, and the build up gradually became more intense as everyone started shouting his name. Richard smiled, clasping his hands together and bowing before exiting the arena to where he had spotted Garfield and the gang.

He hopped off the stage, a giant smile on his face. Starfire was the first to greet him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a hug that could break bones.

"Friend Robin, that was truly amazing!" Starfire cheered, letting him go. Robin smiled, rubbing his now sore arms. He then felt a hard slap on his back, nearly toppling him over.

"Good job, man!" Cyborg cried. Raven stepped up beside him, giving him a side eye stare. Richard could feel himself growing uneasy; that is until she gave him a thumbs up.

"Impressive." She stated. Richard assumed that was a sincere compliment so he smiled as thanks. Finally, Garfield stepped up, with an obviously annoyed expression.

"Since when were you able to fight like that?" He sneered. Richard cocked his head to the side, not expecting that kind of question.

"Um…" Richard started, not really knowing how to answer. Garfield rolled his eyes, wrapping his hand around his arm. He then turned to his friends, who were all snickering.

"The mission will take place in 42 hours. We will discuss the details in the morning." Garfield stated. Not even waiting for his team's response, he began marching in the other direction. Richard waved goodbye to his newfound friends, who returned the gesture.

As they pushed through the crowd, he received claps on the back and congratulations from the mutants who had watched. Richard tried his best to think them as Garfield pulled him forward, but found that nearly impossible. Soon they were in a clearing, followed by many staircases.

"Mind telling me where we're going?" Richard questioned as he was practically dragged up the stairs.

"To my room." Garfield replied simply.

"You live here?" Richard asked in shock. Garfield gave him an annoyed expression before turning around again, moving faster.

"All mutants live here." Garfield stated as if it were obvious. Richard pressed his lips together, but decided not to press forward. Soon, they reached the end of the staircase, where a hallway with many doors were present. Garfield led them to the door on the outermost end.

Using his free hand, he pressed it against the scanner, which glowed green once it recognized it. The door slid open and Garfield marched inside, throwing Richard into the room also. He landed on a bed, and sat up quickly with confusion. Garfield closed and locked the door before turning around to meet Richard sharply.

He slowly made his way over to Richard, placing both hands on the bed on either side of him and leaned forward. Richard gulped as Garfield got dangerously close to his face. He could feel his warm breath tickle at his skin, and he had to withhold himself from blushing at the close proximity.

"Spill." Garfield demanded, slanting his eyes dangerously. Richard tried to look away, only to have Garfield wrap his hand around the collar of his shirt and bring their faces even closer. "Are you a spy?" He growled.

"What, of course not-" Richard cried incredulously.

"-Then why the hell were you able to fight like that. No human is able to fight like that unless they are specially trained." The mutant accused.

"I'm not a spy!" Richard yelled. Being bigger than the green boy, Richard was easily able to flip them around so that Garfield was pinned beneath him. Garfield looked up dangerously at him, breathing heavily. "If you would just listen to me, I'll explain." Richard growled. "We're supposed to be partners. You're supposed to trust me."

"It's a little too early for trust." Garfield sneered. "And I never said we were partners." Richard groaned, letting go of the boy. He got up, taking off the mask and tossing it at the confused mutant.

"I don't see why I should trust you either, I suppose." Richard sighed, running his fingers through his hair messily to destroy the once spiked backed look. "This obviously isn't going to work. I'm sorry I put you through so much trouble." He then turned towards Garfield, who had sat up and stared at him in confusion. "I'll just go now." Richard said solemnly, as he began walking towards the door with his head hung low.

"Wait." Garfield called, just as Richard had reached the door. Richard paused, but did not turn around. "This mission...it's important to me-to everyone." Garfield began softly. "I don't know how else we can do it without you. Please don't leave." Richard sighed and turned around, placing his hands on his hips.

"I don't want to work with you if we're not partners, and if that means we have to trust each other, then so be it." Richard said, walking over to a desk and pulling out a chair. He then looked over at Garfield expectantly. "I want to know everything about you, and in return I'll tell you everything about me. Deal?"

* * *

 **A bit of a long chapter. I think most of my chapters for this story will be pretty long, which means it might take awhile to update.. But I have big plans ahead so stay tuned!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Garfield's eyes widen as he stared incredulously at the blue-eyed boy. He didn't know whether or not to be angered or surprised by the preposition. Meanwhile, Richard stared back at him patiently, waiting for a response. Garfield sighed.

"Everything?" Garfield repeated, looking away dejectedly.

"Well, not everything." Richard corrected. "Just enough for us to have a mutual trust for each other. Like, what lead us to be together." Garfield nodded in understanding. "Here, I'll start." Richard said, straightening up. Garfield found himself turning his sight towards Richard's as he awkwardly adjusted himself in the chair.

"My name is Richard Grayson, and I'm nineteen years old. When I was young my parents were killed and I was adopted by Bruce Wayne. You might have heard of him because he's wealthy and owns many corporations." Richard ranted without giving Garfield any room to interject. "Anyways, since the day he adopted me he had trained me to be the heir of his corporation. As a result, I never had a regular childhood because I was always working. That's why I was so amenant about working with you, because I needed to break away from that life." Richard sighed.

"As for me knowing how to fight, Bruce made me take multiple martial arts class all my life. He trained me personally when he had time. He said there might be a day when I may need to protect myself if he's not there to protect me." Richard finished, looking up at Garfield expectantly. However, he did not expect to see Garfield hunched over, shaking. Richard stood up and walked over to Garfield's still shaking form, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, I know my story's sad, but it's not that sad." At that remark, Garfield let out a howl of laughter with such volume that it made Richard jumped. Richard was taken about ask the green boy continued to laugh hysterically, clutching his side.

"You-" Garfield wheezed, wiping away a stray tear. "You spoiled little rich boy!" He cried, finally letting his laughter die down. Richard crossed his arms, offended. "You think your story's sad? Its hilarious." Garfield said, growing serious. "Selfish even."

"You wouldn't understand;" Richard pouted. "No one does. And it's not like your story can be any worse."

"Of course it is! I'm green!" Garfield cried, gesturing towards himself. Richard bit his lower lip, looking away disheartened. "I think I finally understand you." Garfield sighed, shaking his head. "I suppose I should keep my side of the deal, though." At the sound of this, Richard perked up, and sat on the edge of the bed beside the mutant. Garfield gave him a strange look, but rolled his eyes nonetheless.

"Where do I begin?" Garfield sighed, falling backwards onto the bed. Richard looked down on him curiously, waiting for him to continue. "Um...when I was young I lived in Africa with my parents. I think they were scientists, I don't really remember. Anyways, one day I found a green monkey and thought 'hey, wouldn't it be cool if I played with this weird animal' because, you know, kids are stupid like that. Long story short; it bit me, I almost died, my parents saved me, this was the result." Garfield said nonchalantly, pointing at his face.

"Wait, you were human once?" Richard questioned.

"Did I interrupt you when you were storytelling?" Garfield snapped. "But yes, I _was_ human once. Can't say I remembered what I looked like before the mutation but…" At this point he shrugged. He peered over at the teen, who had a confused expression on his face. "What is it?" Garfield groaned.

"Sorry," Richard said, shaking his head as if he had lost his train of thought. "I just assumed you were from some alien planet; like most mutants." Garfield quickly propped himself up on his elbows, glaring at the boy.

"Hate to burst your bubble, but not all mutants are aliens. Most of us were human at one point to. Honestly, why do you humans want to discriminate us so much?" Garfield snapped.

"Sorry." Mumbled Richard. Garfield rolled his eyes, plopping back onto his back.

"Whatever. For a long time, it was just the three of us, then my parents died and I was taken back to America to live with my uncle. Apparently, he wasn't too fond of having a green nephew and kicked me out. _Bastard._ " Richard pretended like he didn't hear the last part, and continued to listed to his story. "I was like eight or nine, living on the streets because no one wanted me. Do you know how hard it is getting by with no one to guide or to love you?" Garfield question.

"No I-"

"-Don't interrupt." Garfield snapped. "I was finally found a few years later by what would later be my only family I had since my parents death. We called ourselves the Doom Patrol. We were all different so we all understood each other. Knowing my luck, I should've known something bad was bound to happen."

"One day someone broke into our head quarters and took my family away. I'm a very good hider, so I was able to escape unseen, but I wasn't able to save my family. I'll never forget that face; the man with two faces. I still have nightmares about it sometimes." There was a brief moment of silence as Garfield stared blankly at the ceiling. Richard could only stare at his hands incredulously as he realized that his story was silly by comparison; he could see why Garfield had laughed.

"When I found out that more and more mutants were being mysteriously taken away, I had to do something." Garfield began, though in a more hushed tone. "That's why I created this; a refuge for all mutants to hide. It doesn't matter who you are, or who you were before you came, because we all have a similar goal. That's why we need you for this mission, because we would be one step closer to finding out who is doing this and how to stop it."

"So that's why you're so wanted. Because you're the leader." Richard stated moreso to himself as he put pieces together.

"They make me out to be some sort of criminal. Really, I'm just trying to find my family. The fact that they're taking mutants and locking them away for no reason, killing them even," Garfield sighed, shutting his eyes tight, before looking up at Richard dejectedly. "I just had to do something."

Richard looked between him and the discarded mask he had thrown earlier. Sighing, he laid down beside Garfield. Garfield turned over to look at him, giving him a confused expression.

"I'll help you," Richard finally said, placing a hand on the boys kneecap. "With whatever you need. I promise." Garfield then sat up with a surprised expression on his face, staring incredulously at Richard. After a few seconds, he smiled, shaking his head in disbelief and chuckling slightly.

"You're the strangest human I've ever met." He laughed, looking up at Richard with a warm smile. At that moment, Richard felt something inside his chest. He could feel his heart rate start to quicken as he diaphram felt as if it were closing in. He could feel his face start to heat up, and he quickly removed his hand from the mutants lap, giving a forced laugh. He then cleared his throat, reaching down to pick up the discarded mask.

"Robin, huh?" Beast Boy quipped, watching as the teen examined the mask.

"Oh yeah…" Robin squeaked, giving the mutant a nervous grin. "It was sort of a nickname my mom gave me. I used to always chase around robin's as a kid."

"That's weird, dude." Garfield said, shaking his head. "But cute. I would've never took you for a bird boy." Richard laughed, knowing how ridiculous the story was. Suddenly, the bed shifted. Richard turned to see Garfield laying on his stomach, resting his head on a pillow.

"We should get some sleep." Garfield sighed, not bothering to look back up once his head was rested. "Tomorrow is when everything changes." He mumbled.

Richard stared at his backside for a few seconds before turning around and placing a shaking hand over his heart. He could feel it start to decrease in acceleration. Pressing his lips together, he maneuvered to the front of the bed and layed beside the green teen. He hadn't notice how much smaller this bed was compared to the one's of the hotel. As he laid to his side, he knew there were only a few inches separating him and the mutant.

Closing his eyes, Richard forced himself to fall asleep to stop any unwanted feelings from resurfacing.

* * *

Blue eyes fluttered open, and Richard stared mindlessly at the ceiling. He blinked a few times, trying to rid the sleep from his eyes. It was morning now, he assumed. He always was an early bird, and he hardly ever slept in.

He made a motion to sit up and stretch, but quickly halted once he felt a weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw a mop of green hair on his chest. Garfield was sleeping contently, a peaceful expression on his face as he lightly snored. His arm was draped loosely around Richard's torso, dangling off the side of the bed.

Richard could feel a blush start to form as he settled back down onto his pillow. On one hand, he knew he should wake the mutant, knowing that the meeting was bound to happen soon. On the other hand, he had never seen the teen look so at peace. His rigid, almost unmoving exterior seemed softer now. It was almost as if he were looking at an entirely different person. So, he decided to let Garfield rest for a few more minutes so he could take everything in.

Curious and daring, Richard lifted his hand, slowly descending it so that his fingers grazed his forest green hair. It was soft, and although messy, smelled like something of nature; like pine needles. Garfield hadn't made any notion that he had felt his touch, so in an act of courage, Richard began to gently stroke his hair.

Garfield made a soft noise, almost like a kitten, and nuzzled deeper into Richard's chest. Smiling, Richard saw this as an accomplishment and permission to he knew it, he was absentmindedly stroking the boy's soft hair, taking in his almost innocent features.

"Beast Boy I-" Richard gasped upon hearing the door swished open. Raven glided in, and seeing the two boy's lying in the bed in such position, had stopped mid-sentence. "Am I interrupting something?" She croaked. Richard quickly removed his hand as Garfield stirred awake, groggily sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Richard sat up also,desperately turning away to hide his reddening face.

"Did I fall asleep on you?" Garfield mumbled whilst stretching his hands above his head. "Sorry." He didn't seem at all embarrassed as he got out of the bed., yet Richard could feel his whole face burning up. Plus, it didn't exactly help that he could feel the sorceress staring him down.

The bed shifted as Garfield got up, shaking his hair as if to make it messier. Richard watched as he made his way to the purple-haired girl, who handed him a stack of what looked to be clothing.

"We found an extra costume for," Her eyes quickly shifted to the boy still awkwardly watching on the bed to the mutant. "Robin. If he wants it, of course." Garfield grinned, and spun around, holding the cloth up for Richard to see.

"What do you think?" Garfield asked. Richard's face churned as he stared at the brightly colored uniform. It was a mixture of red's, green, and yellow's, reminding him of a traffic light. He had a hard time disguising his disgust as Garfield and Raven both waited for his reaction.

"Thanks, guys." Richard said with a lopsided smile. Clearing his throat, he swung his legs and walked towards the duo, taking the costume from Garfield.

"Starfire stayed up all night to repair it for you. I'd hope you'd be thankful." Raven snapped, crossing her arms.

"I am." Richard said defensively.

"I can sense that you're not." For a few seconds, the two glared at each other. That is until, Garfield cleared his throat, grabbing both of their attention.

"Is everyone awake?" Garfield asked, turning towards Raven. She nodded, throwing up her hood from her cloak.

"Breakfast is being served. We're just waiting for your orders." She stated.

"Well let them wait a little longer." Garfield said with a click of his tongue, stretching his arms and sniffing his pits before sticking out is tongue in disgust. "What I need right now is a good shower." Raven's nose turned up in disgust.

"Well I'll give you your privacy-"

"Actually, Rae, I was hoping you would watch Robin here until I was done. I'm not supposed to let him out of my sight, but I trust you enough to make sure he doesn't try anything." Garfield stated. Richard's eyes widened in surprise as Raven turned towards him with dangerously slanted eyes.

"Sure. Take as much time as you need." She said without taking her eyes off of the blue-eyed boy. Garfield gave her a smile before giving Richard a warning glare. Then, he went to one of the side doors, which Richard assumed was a connect bathroom, leaving him and and the sorceress alone.

Richard didn't know whether or not to be furious that Garfield still didn't trust him to be alone for a few minutes after they had just learned so much about each other, or be terrified by the fact that he left him alone with a girl that looked like she wanted to murder him. Minutes have passed, and he was still awkwardly looking from wall to wall as he tried to avoid her glare. Finally, after five minutes of no words being exchanged, Richard caved in.

"Look," He said, running fingers through his raven hair. "I think we got off on the wrong hand."

"You're right." She snapped. "So let me start off by asking a simple question," Richard gulped as she started to levitate off the ground and circle around him. "What do you want with him?"

"Him?" Richard repeated, watching as the girl circled around him.

"Beast Boy. Garfield. Our leader. The only reason why most of us here haven't been captured yet." She growled, stopping in front of him. "Don't think I didn't see you." Richard blushed, looking down at the ground. He opened his mouth as if to respond, but quickly closed it.

"It's not what it looked like." He finally whispered.

"Like what? That you like him?" Raven scoffed. At this, Richard's head shot up with a bewildered look on his face.

"I do not-" He had to cut himself off as he realized his voice was rising. He didn't want to risk Garfield overhearing. "I do not like him." He harshly whispered. Raven rolled her eyes.

"You may be in denial now, but trust me, I know. I can read people's emotions. Even if you won't admit it, you are attracted to him." She said, stepping back. Richard blinked, shaking his head.

"Impossible. I barely even know him." Richard denied. Raven simply threw her hand up towards him, lowering her eyes dangerously.

"Whatever the case may be, I'm warning you now to stop it. You're lucky he's even letting you tag along, considering you're human. He doesn't generally associate with your kind." Richard could feel himself taking offense.

"So you're saying that even if I did like him, I wouldn't have a chance? I would rather find that out for myself." Richard snapped.

"I'm not saying this for your sake." Raven retorted. She then took off her hood so that he could see directly into her eyes. He could see how serious she was being. "I'm saying it for his." Richard blinked, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Him getting into any kind of relationship could put our whole organization in jeopardy. A few years ago, he got into a relationship with a pretty blonde. He was so head-over-heels for her that he couldn't see she was working for the enemy. Because of her, he almost died and some of our members were captured. It took weeks for him to recover, physically and emotionally. As a result, the whole organization suffered. We almost disbanded."

Richard soaked everything in, too shocked by the story to say anything. Raven had turned away, bowing her head sadly.

"If it turns out that you're bad news," She growled suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I will personally hunt you down. I don't know why he would ever trust a human; especially after everything they did to him. He may not show it, but he's putting the last bit of faith for your kind into you. So don't screw it up." She growled between closed teeth.

"Noted." Richard said quickly, throwing up defensive hands. "Does this mean you'll stop glaring at me now?" Raven slowly descended her hands before throwing up her hood.

"Whatever." She snapped. There was an awkward silence between them, that is until, Richard realized something he hadn't before.

"Wait," He gasped. "How did you know I was human?" Raven rolled her eyes before they glowed white. Richard steeped away at the act of power, and was surprised to see his mask wrapped in a black aura floating. The mask slammed into his chest, sending him stumbling a few feet back.

"Word of advice, keep the mask on. Everyone a;ready jhas their suspicions about you." She growled. Richard, too shocked to muster words, nodded, removing the mask from his chest. "You're lucky it was just me who saw you. If anyone else besides the people in our main group saw you, you would've been-"

"-fried tofu." The two turned to see Garfield walking out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through his hair. Upon seeing the two, he placed a hand on his hip with an almost disappointed look. Raven rolled her eye at the interruption. However, Richard was to preoccupied to notice the odd comment. Instead, he was more focused on what the mutant was wearing.

Richard could feel himself heat up by just the mere sight of him. He had changed his all-black form fitting outfit to a skin-tight purple and black jumpsuit. The colors somehow complimented his green skin, making it shine brighter, and the black lining in his suit accentuated his physique. Even though he wasn't large in the slightest, Richard could easily make out the hidden muscles beneath the fabric. A gray belt hang loosely on his waist and a matching pair of gloves were on his hands. As the teen made his way toward the duo, Richard noticeably gulped as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

"Well?" Garfield said, crossing his arms expectantly. Richard's eyes grew wide as the mutant stopped directly in front of him, and he found himself leaning back to avoid his gaze. His mind had gone completely blank, and he had no idea what he was asking.

"The mask, idiot." Raven snapped, shooting the blue-eyed boy a glare. Richard could feel himself growing even more red as he looked down at the mask he was holding. He quickly placed it on his face, clearing his throat.

"Right, um-sorry." Richard quickly apologized. Garfield rolled his eyes and turned to Raven, who shook her head disapprovingly.

"This is the best you could find?" She asked sarcastically, causing Richard to pout. Garfield looked back at him for a moment before giving the empath a shrug.

"Just wait until you hear how we met." Garfield said with a grin. "Tell everyone the meeting will begin shortly. I'll have to wait until bird boy over here gets dressed." He said, pointing a finger back at Richard. Raven cocked an eyebrow but said nothing nonetheless. She then wordlessly left the room, but not without shooting Richard one last warning glare.

"If you want to wash up," Garfield sighed nonchalantly after the door closed. He turned his back on Richard, walking towards the desk and pulling out the chair. "I suggest you make it quick while my hair's still drying. There's extra clothes in the bathroom if you need it. Be sure to wear Star's outfit." He stated, beginning to rub his hair with a towel again.

Richard only stared in confusion at the sudden mood change. It was as if as soon Raven had left, he reverted back into his usual direct self. But, Richard thanked him nonetheless, and went into the bathroom without a word. Still, the sudden switch in personality did not stop his beating heart.

* * *

Richard was trying desperately to walk normally as his green tights kept riding up in unmentionable areas. He didn't understand how superheroes such as Superman were able to get around in such tight uniforms, nonetheless fight in them.

He followed closely behind Garfield as they walked through the crowded hallways until they reached and open area. There, rows of tables were filled with eating mutants, each with their own plates of breakfast. Garfield lead them to one of the lunch lines, turning around to meet the bewildered Richard.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, grabbing a tray from the counter. Richard wordlessly nodded, grabbing a tray of his own. They went down the lunch line where rows of food were shown through a glass wall. Garfield stopped in front of an elderly woman, who was wearing a chef's hat with an eye on it. Upon seeing him, her face lit up.

"Back already, Beastboy?" She asked, already preparing a plate of food for the mutant. He shrugged, giving her a small grin and nudging her head towards Richard.

"I ran into minor altercations. Nothing I couldn't handle." He said. The woman eyes widened as she seemingly just noticed the human.

"Why, a new recruit? You should've warned me, I would've prepared something special!" She cried, to which Garfield laughed.

"No need, Mother. Your cooking is good enough." Garfield reassured.

"The name's Mother Mae-Eye." She said, reaching a hand over the glass. "And you are?" Richard accepted the greeting, giving her a quick shake.

"Robin." He said, casting a warm smile. She then leaned over the counter, raising a hand to hide the side of her mouth.

"If you ever want some extra jello, come see me. Mother won't snitch." She whispered before giving him a wink. Richard's smile faltered a little, but he nodded as a thanks. Mother Mae-Eye then leaned back, handing Garfield a plate of toast, and a white, square substance. "And what would you have, deary?" She asked Richard.

"Whatever he's having?" Richard said without thinking of asking what other options were there. Garfield gave him a confused look.

"You eat tofu?" He asked slowly. Richard blinked, not knowing what the strange substance was. If he had known that he would've asked for something else. But it was too late to change his answer, so he just gave the green teen a smile of reassurance. Mother then handed him his food, and saying their farewells, began to walk between the rows of table. Garfield lead them to familiar faces.

Upon seeing them, Starfire squealed, floating up in her chair and flying towards the two. Richard was unaware of the fact that she could fly, and could only stare wide-eyed as she wrapped Garfield into a hug, still floating in mid-air.

"Friend Beast Boy, I have not seen you in uniform in so long!" She said, floating back. Garfield grinned from ear to ear, popping up an arm and flexing.

"I know you missed these guns." Garfield joked, causing starfire to giggle. This confused Richard more than seeing the orange girl fly. Since when did he make jokes?

"Man, sit down." Cyborg yelled, rolling his one eye. Garfield laughed, taking a seat, and Richard quickly followed suit. Richard had, coincidentally, sat across from Raven, and upon sitting down, she gave him a cold glare. Richard awkwardly looked away, trying to join back into the conversation.

"Dude, you're still eating that meat junk?" Garfield whined, picking up a piece of tofu with his fork. He then pointed it at his metallic friend, causing him to grimace. "What you need is some good, fibrous, tofu!" Cyborg frantically shook his head, trying to lean as far back from the food as possible.

"Man, get that fake food out of my face! I told you I'm not eating it!" He yelled, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"Ooh, I do miss the friendly banter of you two." Starfire giggled.

"Ain't nothing friendly about that stuff." Cyborg sneered. Garfield simply shrugged, taking a bite out of the substance, too which cyborg belched. Richard watched in awe as Garfield continued to crack jokes about his friend, and Cyborg throwing one back. It was like seeing a totally different person. He had never seen Garfield laugh and joke since he's known him, and they've only been sitting for a few minutes!

"Rae, please tell Cy that eating meat is tearing apart our planet!" Garfield cried. Raven looked up with a disinterested expression.

"I respect each of your eating habits. Don't drag me into your nonsense." She replied monotonously. Garfield pouted, crossing his arms childishly.

"Well, Robin agrees with me. Don't you?" Garfield said. Suddenly, all eyes were on Richard. It was then he was glad he was wearing a mask, hiding how surprised and frightened he really was.

"Um...yeah," Richard said awkwardly. "Tofu's great."

"Man, you haven't even touched your plate. Ain't no way tofu is good!" Cyborg said, making Beast Boy stick out his tongue.

"Oh yeah, thanks for the costume, Starfire." Richard said, giving the alien a small smile.

"It was my pleasure, friend Robin." She said, smiling brightly.

"Were't you supposed to tell us how you two met?" Raven asked.

"Oh yeah," Garfield grinned, rubbing his hands together. "So get this. The plan was going just as planned. No one saw me bug the place so I thought we were going to get through scot clean. Then as I'm making my way out, one of those robots come and attacks me." At this, everyone gasped, except for Robin, who only listened with confusion.

"Man, I hate those things!" Cyborg said, slamming his fist against the table. "I told you to stop taking all these dangerous missions. At least have backup!"

"You already know I don't like doing that." Garfield sighed. "I'd rather put myself at risk than anyone else's."

"But what if you are caught?" Starfire cried worriedly.

"But I wasn't because, luckily," Garfield said, glancing at Richard. "I found a car with a person already in it." At that moment, everyone's eyes went wide.

"You didn't." Raven said in shock.

"I had to! I was desperate. If I didn't find somebody I would've been caught!" Garfield reason.

"Friend Beast Boy, we do not threaten people! That is the wrong on many levels!" Starfire screeched.

"Yeah man, you know car hopping is dangerous." Cyborg denounced. "Plus, you probably scared Robin here half to death."

"I'm fine, really." Richard reassured. "I'm actually glad it happened."

"See? Everything turned out 'A' okay. We have our secret weapon, and everyone's safe." Garfield said standing up. "Now, we're one step closer to the end of this war." He then stood up on the chair, and then the table.

The group had suddenly stopped their joking manner, and stood up also. Robin quickly stood up also, confused. The surrounding tables of mutants noticed this, and began telling everyone around them to quiet down. Within a few seconds, the whole cafeteria became quiet.

Beast Boy stood sternly, placing his hand on his hips. And examining the whole area. They all eagerly watched him, waiting for him to say something. Richard slowly scanned the area also, noting how all eyes were on this little group of mutants, including him.

"Good morning, Titans." Garfield suddenly announced, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "Today, will mark the first step of our freedom!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air. The crowd went wild; cheering and banging fists on the table. Garfield patiently waited for them to calm down before lowering his hand, nodding understandingly.

"For too long, we have been living in the shadows. It is because of the _man with two faces_ we have to hide ourselves in fear we will be captured. Well, I'm hear to tell you, come tomorrow, that will be no more!" Again, the crowd of mutants cheered.

"This mission will be none like we ever encountered before. We will be breaking into the main headquarters of the enemy. For that reason, I cannot allow any of you put your lives in danger." Garfield said, making the crowd grow deathly silent. "Instead, each one of you will help out here, making sure there are no malfunctions during the mission. I will be the one to venture out into enemy territory to not put any of your lives at risk." At this, there could be worried murmurs throughout the room. His friends looked up at him sadly, but Garfield simply ignored him, keeping his ground.

"In my place, I designate my trusted friend Cyborg to lead you all until I return." Beast Boy announce. The crowd clapped, and Cyborg bowed his head at the seemingly generous offer. "But," Garfield said, holding up a finger. "I won't be going alone. I will bring along with me the one person who is making this mission possible. We had been planning this for months, and now we can finally act upon it."

Garfield then looked down at Richard, giving him a small smile. Richard's eyes widened as Garfield outstretched his hand, offering it to the mask teen. Containing his blush, Richard took his hand and allowed himself to be hoisted onto the table. Without letting go, he raised both of their arms into the air.

"Robin is the key to operating this mission. Together, we promise to stop whoever is doing this, and free those who have been captured!" Garfield cried. At this the crowd went crazy; cheering, clapping, and banging on tables.

Garfield looked over at Richard, smiling from ear to ear and breathing heavily. Richard was still shocked at the display, but looking at Garfield, he found a smile start to creep on his face to.

With their hands still clasped together and held high into the air, they celebrated along with the crowd.

* * *

 **If you are confused about anything in the story let me know! I don't know how well I'm explaining the situation but I hope you all understand what's happening! Thanks to those who let me know they enjoy this, keeps me motivated to keep writing!**

 **please, review!**


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